Feedback-Enabled Magnetic Assistance Device for Eyelid Management

This non-provisional application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119(a) to Patent Application No. 114113006 filed in Taiwan on Apr. 7, 2025, which is hereby expressly incorporated by reference into the present application.

The present invention is a device for assisting the treatment of eyelids, particularly to a device for management of blepharoptosis and lagophthalmos.

Facial nerve paralysis may cause symptoms of asymmetrical facial muscle tone, asymmetrical smile, inability to close the eyelids (lagophthalmos), etc. Without adequate management, complications resulting from lagophthalmos including keratitis, corneal ulcers, and even blindness may occur. Current treatments for lagophthalmos include metal implants, tarsal suturing, epicanthoplasty, medication, and supportive care. Some studies show that electrical stimulation of the facial nerve or orbicularis oculi may improve lagophthalmos.

The common causes of acquired blepharoptosis include age‐related aponeurotic dysfunction, birth trauma, traumatic injury, contact lens induced injury, myasthenia gravis, dysfunction of the third cranial nerve, and postocular surgery complications. Surgical intervention is the mainstay treatment for blepharoptosis. Although there are surgical treatments for blepharoptosis, they are often associated with a high rate of reoperations or postsurgical complications. Currently, there are few practical devices that can improve blepharoptosis and lagophthalmos.

An objective of the present disclosure is to provide a feedback-enabled magnetic assistance device for eyelid management, particularly to a device for management of blepharoptosis and lagophthalmos.

The feedback-enabled magnetic assistance device for eyelid management comprises:

a wearable object configured to be worn on a user’s face;

a magnetic element adapted to be affixed on an affected eyelid of the user;

a biosignal sensor mounted on the wearable object, detecting muscle activities in a periorbital area of the user, and producing sensing data corresponding to the muscle activities;

an electromagnetic actuator mounted on the wearable object at a position corresponding to the magnetic element, wherein the electromagnetic actuator is controllable to be activated to generate a magnetic attraction between the magnetic element and the electromagnetic actuator, or alternatively is controllable to be deactivated to interrupt the magnetic attraction;

a controller electrically connected to the biosignal sensor and the electromagnetic actuator via a signal wire, and configured to activate or deactivate the electromagnetic actuator according to the sensing data acquired from the biosignal sensor; and

a release button electrically configured on the controller, wherein the controller deactivates the electromagnetic actuator while the release button is triggered.

The magnetic element such as an iron sheet is designed to be attached to an affected eyelid like the paralytic upper eyelid. After the biosignal sensor detects muscle activities of the healthy eyelid or other facial characteristics around the periorbital skin and accordingly outputs sensing data to the controller, the controller determines the eye closure and opening. The controller thus activates the electromagnetic actuator to attract the magnetic element, or deactivates the electromagnetic actuator to interrupt the magnetic attraction therebetween, thereby controlling the affected eyelid to achieve opening or closing actions.

Other objectives, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Directional terms as used herein, for example, up, down, right, left, front, back, top, bottom are made only with reference to the figures as illustrated and are not intended to imply absolute orientation unless otherwise specified.

1 2 FIGS.and 10 20 31 40 50 60 With reference to, a feedback-enabled magnetic assistance device for eyelid management according to an embodiment of the present invention comprise a wearable object, a biosignal sensor, an electromagnetic actuator, a controller, a magnetic elementand a release button.

10 10 11 12 11 14 11 15 12 16 11 12 The wearable objectsuch as a glasses frame is configured to be worn on a user’s face. According to the embodiment, the wearable objectincludes a first lens frame, a second lens frameconnected to the first lens frameby a bridge (not shown), a first templehinged to the first lens frame, a second templehinged to the second lens frame, and an auxiliary barmounted on top rims of the first lens frameand the second lens frame.

11 12 10 20 31 10 20 31 10 As an example in the following description, the first lens frameis at the side corresponding to the user’s healthy eyelid (normal side) while the second lens frameis at the contralateral side corresponding to the user’s paralytic eyelid (paralytic side). The paralytic eyelid hereinafter refers to a droopy eyelid (eyelid ptosis). The wearable objectcan be manufactured entirely or partially using 3D printing technology, forming some chambers to accommodate the biosignal sensor, the electromagnetic actuator, etc. By embedding elements in the wearable objecting, the biosignal sensorand the electromagnetic actuatorcan be concealed within the wearable objectto prevent the user from attracting strange looks from others.

20 20 10 20 20 16 11 20 14 11 2 FIG. 3 FIG. In the embodiment, the biosignal sensoris configured to detect eye blinks or muscle activities near the periorbital area during eye closure or opening and accordingly output sensing data. The biosignal sensoris preferably mounted on the wearable objectcorresponding to the user’s healthy eyelid. The biosignal sensormay be implemented by a camera or an optical sensor composed of a near-infrared emitter and a near-infrared receiver. As shown in, the biosignal sensoris located on the auxiliary barabove the first lens frame. Alternatively as shown in, the biosignal sensorin another embodiment is mounted on an inner surface of the first templeand near the first lens frame.

20 The biosignal sensormay be located approximately an appropriate distance, such as one centimeter, away from the lateral canthus of the normal eyelid depending on the user’s condition. The near-infrared emitter periodically emits an infrared light toward the periorbital area such as the muscles behind the lateral canthus and detects changes in muscle contractions during eyes closure or opening. The near-infrared receiver may receive the infrared light reflected from the periorbital area, preferably muscles behind the lateral canthus, and accordingly produce a reflection signal as the sensing data.

31 10 31 31 50 31 31 50 31 The electromagnetic actuatoris directly or indirectly mounted on the wearable objectat the side corresponding to the paralytic eyelid, and may include a permanent magnet and an electromagnet. When the electromagnetic actuatoris activated, the electromagnetic actuatoris driven by an electrical current and continuously produces a magnetic force to attract the magnetic element. When the electromagnetic actuatoris deactivated, the electromagnetic actuatorstops generating the magnetic force, thus enabling the release of the magnetic elementfrom the electromagnetic actuator.

31 16 40 17 17 16 31 16 32 33 31 33 16 32 31 33 2 FIG. In the embodiment, the electromagnetic actuatoris indirectly mounted on the auxiliary barin an adjustable manner and is electrically connected to the controllervia a signal wire. The signal wirepasses through, but is not limited to, the auxiliary barand one of the temples as shown in. The electromagnetic actuatorcan be mounted on the auxiliary barin a variety of ways; for example a carrier assembly that includes a baseand a railis used to hold the electromagnetic actuator. The railis provided on the top surface of the auxiliary bar. The basefor supporting the electromagnetic actuatoris engaged on and allowed to movably slide along the rail.

40 40 20 31 17 31 The controlleris an operable and portable device which can be worn on the clothes using a clip or placed in the pocket. The controlleris electrically connected to the biosignal sensorand the electromagnetic actuatorvia the signal wireto receive and process the sensing data, and control the activation or deactivation of the electromagnetic actuatorbased on the sensing data.

60 40 60 40 31 50 31 The release buttonon the controlleris operable by the user. When the release buttonis pressed continuously, the controllerdisables the electromagnetic actuatorto release the magnetic elementfrom the electromagnetic actuator.

4 FIG. 50 50 31 50 31 31 50 31 50 50 Referring to, the magnetic elementis configured to be affixed to the paralytic eyelid of the user. For example, the attachment of the magnetic elementto the paralytic eyelid can be achieved using a double-sided adhesive tape. By deactivating the electromagnetic actuator, the magnetic elementcan be separated from the electromagnetic actuator. During the activation of the electromagnetic actuator, the magnetic elementis attracted upward by the produced magnetic force until the electromagnetic actuatoris deactivated. In another embodiment, the magnetic elementmay be implanted in the paralytic eyelid. The magnetic elementmay be a metal sheet, such as a magnetic sheet made of iron, nickel or cobalt.

60 50 31 31 60 31 33 Professionals such as physicians may operate the release buttonto temporarily interrupt the magnetic attraction between the magnetic elementand the electromagnetic actuator, thereby adjusting the relative position of the electromagnetic actuatorin a manual way. By continuously pressing the release button, the operator is allowed to slide the electromagnetic actuatoralong the rail, thereby adjusting its relative position without pulling the user’s eyelid.

10 60 50 31 In another circumstance, when the user experiences an accidental situation, such as a displacement of the wearable objectfrom the face, the user can press the release buttoncontinuously to interrupt magnetic attraction between the magnetic elementand the electromagnetic actuator, thereby avoiding accidental injury.

5 6 FIGS.and 70 10 40 70 16 70 16 12 15 70 15 Further referring to, another embodiment of the invention may further include one or more vibration sensorsdisposed on the wearable objectand connected to the controllerelectrically. The vibration sensoris placed on the auxiliary barand corresponds to the paralytic eyelid. As an example, the vibration sensorcan be mounted on the top surface of the auxiliary barabove the second lens frameand near the second temple. Alternately, the vibration sensorcan be secured on the second temple.

70 10 10 70 40 40 31 50 31 10 40 31 50 31 The vibration sensorsuch as an inertial sensor is configured to detect the vibration amplitude experienced by the wearable object. When the detected vibration amplitude exceeds a predetermined threshold, it typically indicates occurrence of an accidental event, such as a shaking, a collision, a fall, or an abrupt displacement of the wearable object. The vibration sensorgenerates a vibration signal corresponding to the detected vibration amplitude and transmits it to the controller. By comparing the vibration sensing signal with the predetermined threshold, the controllerdeactivates the electromagnetic actuatorto interrupt or terminate a magnetic attraction between the magnetic elementand the electromagnetic actuatorwhile the vibration sensing signal exceeds the preset threshold. Accordingly, upon the recognition of the accidental event such as the collision, the fall, or a sudden movement of the wearable object, the controllerdisables the electromagnetic actuator, thereby separating the magnetic elementfrom the electromagnetic actuatorto enhance user safety and prevent potential injury.

4 FIG. 31 12 50 31 31 50 According to one aspect of application, the magnetic assistance device of the present invention is designed for the blepharoptosis user. When the blepharoptosis user wears the magnetic assistance device as shown in, the electromagnetic actuatoris mounted above the second lens frameat the side of the paralytic eyelid and near the eyebrow, and the magnetic elementis adhered to the paralytic eyelid. The blepharoptosis is a symptom present with the drooping of the upper eyelid. In order to assist the blepharoptosis users to open their eyes normally, the electromagnetic actuatoris activated most of the time, so that the electromagnetic actuatorattracts the magnetic elementupward to lift the drooping eyelid.

20 40 The biosignal sensordetects the muscle or skin activities of the periorbital area around the healthy eyelid continuously and generates the sensing data. For example, after the near-infrared emitter continuously emits an infrared signal to the muscles around the healthy eyelid, the near-infrared receiver receives a reflected infrared signal from the healthy eyelid and accordingly produces the sensing data to the controller.

40 When the user closes the eyes, the muscle contractions around the eye will cause the variations in wavelength or potential of the reflected infrared light. Accordingly, the controllercan identify the eye closure of the healthy eyelid based on the reflected infrared light.

40 31 50 31 40 31 50 31 50 According to the recognition of eye closure, the controllerdeactivates the electromagnetic actuator, thereby enabling the release of the magnetic elementfrom the electromagnetic actuatorand allowing the paralytic eyelid to close. After a predetermined eye-closure time, the controllermay activate the electromagnetic actuatorto re-attract the magnetic element. As a typical application, the electromagnetic actuatoris configured to attract the magnetic element, thus lifting and opening the paralytic eyelid. The user’s habit data such as the eye blinking frequency may be recorded simultaneously as a basis for setting the predetermined eye-closure time.

20 40 31 In another embodiment of this invention, the biosignal sensoris a camera for continuously capturing image data of the healthy eye or the muscles around the healthy eyelid. The controllermay use a trained convolutional neural network (CNN) image recognizing model to process the image data, thereby identifying the eye open and closure to control the electromagnetic actuatoras described above.

7 FIG. 16 10 11 12 31 16 12 12 With reference to, in the fourth embodiment of the invention, the auxiliary barof the wearable objectis mounted to the lower rims instead of the upper rims of the first lens frameand the second lens frame. The electromagnetic actuatoris disposed on the auxiliary barin correspondence with the second lens frame, and is positioned at an inner side of the second lens frame. In this embodiment, the magnetic assistance device is configured to assist a user exhibiting incomplete eyelid closure.

31 12 20 11 12 20 50 31 50 The electromagnetic actuatormay be mounted near the lower rim of the second lens frameand close to the lower eye bag of the affected eyelid. The biosignal sensormay be located in the bridge between the first lens frameand the second lens frameto detect muscle activities between the eyebrows. Alternately, the biosignal sensormay be placed on the upper rim of the other lens frame in correspondence with the normal eyelid, and detect muscle contractions around the healthy upper eyelid during eye closures and openings. The magnetic elementis configured to be attached to the abnormal upper eyelid. For a user exhibiting incomplete eyelid closure, the electromagnetic actuatoris designed to attract the magnetic elementdownward, thereby enabling the eyelid on the affected side to close completely.

20 As discussed above, the biosignal sensordetects the skin of the periorbital area of the healthy eyelid or muscle activities between the eyebrows continuously, and generates the sensing data.

40 When the user open the eyes, the muscle contractions around the eye will cause the variations in wavelength or potential of the reflected infrared light. Accordingly, the controllercan identify the eye open of the healthy eyelid based on the reflected infrared light.

40 31 50 31 40 31 50 31 50 According to the recognition of eye open at the normal side, the controllerdeactivates the electromagnetic actuator, thereby enabling the release of the magnetic elementfrom the electromagnetic actuatorand allowing the affected eyelid to open. In an embodiment, after a predetermined eye-open time, the controllermay activate the electromagnetic actuatorto re-attract the magnetic elementdownward. As a typical application, the electromagnetic actuatoris configured to attract the magnetic element, thus closing the incomplete closure eyelid. The user’s habit data such as the eye blinking frequency may be recorded simultaneously as a basis for setting the predetermined eye-open time.

40 41 80 80 80 In another embodiment, the controllerfurther comprises a data transmission circuit, which transmits data such as blinking speed and frequency through a wireless or wired manner to an external device. The external device, for example a controller computer, can be operated by professionals such as physicians. The predetermined eye-closure time as mentioned is allowed to be adjusted through the external device.

8 8 FIGS.A andB 8 FIG.A 20 71 71 10 71 12 15 71 40 71 40 31 a b a a a With reference to, according to other embodiments of the present invention, while the biosignal sensoris an optical sensor, the magnetic assistance device may further include at least one camera,attached to the inner side of the wearable object. The camerainis preferably mounted on a corner of the second lens framenear the second templefor capturing images of the muscle activities or periorbital skin of the affected eyelid, or images of the eyeball. The image data captured by the camerais transmitted to and processed by the controller. With the diversity of acquired data, including the sensing data from the optical sensor and the image data from the camera, the controllercontrols the electromagnetic actuatormore accurately.

8 FIG.B 71 71 11 12 40 10 40 10 31 50 a b In, two camerasandare mounted on the inner sides of the first lens frameand the second lens framerespectively at symmetrical positions for capturing images of the muscle activities or periorbital skin of the eyelids or images of the eyeballs. By comparing the images data captured from eyes and evaluating their differences, the controllerdetermines whether the wearable objectis slipping from the face or subject to an accidental event such as a collision. For example, if the differences in size or position of the pupils images in the captured image data exceed a certain level, the controllermay determine the wearable objecthas been shifted from the face, and accordingly deactivate the electromagnetic actuatorto release the magnetic element.

9 9 FIGS.A andB 9 FIG.A 9 FIG.B 72 72 10 72 72 72 72 72 72 14 15 72 72 10 72 72 10 10 40 31 50 a b a b a b a b a b a b With reference to, according to other embodiments of the present invention, a pair of thin-film pressure sensors,is further added onto the wearable object. The two thin-film pressure sensors,are preferably configured to contact the user’s skin. For example, the two thin-film pressure sensors,can be affixed on nose pads opposite to each other of the glasses frame as shown in. Alternatively, as shown in, the two thin-film pressure sensors,may be affixed respectively at curved sections of the first templeand the second templeso that the thin-film pressure sensors,can contact the user’s skin approximately above the top of the ears. When the wearable objectis worn on the face well, pressure values sensed by the two thin-film pressure sensors,should be balanced to each other and approximately the same. Once the wearable objectslips off or is shifted from the face, an imbalance between the pressure values will cause a difference that exceeds a pressure threshold. When the displacement of the wearable objectis detected, the controllerimmediately deactivates the electromagnetic actuatorto release the magnetic element, thereby preventing injury to the user’s eyelids.

10 FIG. 40 42 42 10 With reference to, for the foregoing magnetic assistant devices, the controllerhas a data processing unitfor processing the captured image data and/or the sensed pressure values. The data processing unitmay use a trained image identifying model to correctly recognize the eyelid closure and open, and/or the displacement of the wearable objectfrom the user’s face.

11 FIG. 70 70 10 70 70 10 70 70 40 40 31 50 31 40 31 50 31 a b a b a b With reference to, according to another embodiment of the invention, two vibration sensors,are preferably mounted in a symmetrical distribution at opposite positions of the wearable object. Each vibration sensor,may be implemented by an inertial sensor for detecting the vibration amplitude experienced by the wearable object. Similar to the embodiments described above, each of the vibration sensors,generates a vibration signal corresponding to the detected vibration amplitude and transmits it to the controller. While any of the vibration sensing signals exceeds the predetermined vibration threshold, the controllerdeactivates the electromagnetic actuatorto interrupt or terminate a magnetic attraction between the magnetic elementand the electromagnetic actuator. Accordingly, upon the recognition of the accident event, the controllerdisables the electromagnetic actuator, thereby separating the magnetic elementfrom the electromagnetic actuator.

Even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the invention, the disclosure is illustrative only. Changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.